Festivals, Farm Markets & Foliage

Of all the seasons, fall describes Portage County the best. In the fall this northeastern Ohio county, located just east of Akron and a short distance from Cleveland, starts to show its true colors. The county is home to three state parks, a bird sanctuary, nature preserves, and the Portage Park District. You can just feel the electricity of anticipation as the colors come alive around the county. 

The fall colors are not just found on our trees. They are found on the hot air balloons that take flight during the Ravenna Balloon A-Fair, at the German Family Society’s yearly Oktoberfest and in our apple orchards and fields.  

We invite you to come experience our colorful side. Start your morning with a crisp morning walk or bike ride along the Portage Hike & Bike Trail.  Then enjoy a cup of coffee with a warm apple cinnamon muffin or pastry in anyone of the unique coffee shops located around the county.  

Spend the rest of the day exploring our apple orchards, pumpkin patches, and farmers markets. Take a kayak or canoe ride down the Cuyahoga River or on one of our public lakes. Enjoy a picnic amongst the fall foliage at any one of our state parks. You may event spot the Goodyear Blimp, which has a hangar in Portage County. 

Wind down with a glass of wine at Barrel Run Crossing and Winery. In 2006, this fourth-generation, family-run farm decided to plant grapevines. Today, the farm produces eight varieties of grapes. During the fall the grapes are harvested, crushed, pressed, fermented and turned into their various signature wines. Make sure you taste a sample of their “SAT B Sider” apple cranberry wine. It goes well with their seasoned goat cheese and warm pita bread.   

It wouldn’t be fall without finding your way out of one of our four corn mazes or selecting that perfect pumpkin from one of our local farmers. During apple season, Beckwith Orchards in Kent, will let you select an apple for free, then they will peel and core it for you, so you can enjoy it right there on the spot. 

Want to add a little fright to your adventure? Fall brings haunted houses and ghost tours to the county. The Kent Ghost Walk guides you through several historic and haunted places around downtown Kent. 

Let’s not forget shopping!  Portage County is home to antique stores, unique boutiques, and Aurora Premium Outlets, which is the perfect place to stock up on your fall gear, pick up fall candles, and find fall home accents. 

This year gather your friends and family and come experience what all the locals already know: Portage County is a great place to enjoy the season. Just a reminder, you are going to want to make sure you bring your camera! Our colors make beautiful social media photos. 

To order a free visitor guide, visit CentralPortageVCB.org or call 800-764-8468.